Flash floods submerge homes in N. Sumatra

INDONESIA - Heavy rain that has hit parts of North Sumatra in the last few days has inundated thousands of homes, forcing residents to evacuate to safer ground.

In Medan, floods submerged three districts and main roads, including Jl. Gatot Subroto. Flash floods also hit Deli Serdang, Serdang Bedagai and Binjai City. Tanjung Morawa district head Teddy Bachtari said Deli Serdang administration had provided three tents to accommodate affected residents.

"North Sumatra is entering the peak of the rainy season and this kind of weather will likely last until the end of the year. A high intensity of rainfall may lead to flooding and landslides," said Hendra Suwarta, head of information and data service at the Medan I Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Thursday